Goodbye to You
by wickedfaerygirl
Summary: Joanie finds out about Paul and Stephanie and she doesn't take it in the best way. Not that there is a good way to take that. Set to "Goodbye To You" by Michelle Branch


I don't own anybody. or the song, michelle branch owns that.

Joanie walked down the hallway, looking for her boyfriend. He had told her he was going to be in the men's locker room, but no one had seen him. She figured she'd stop in at Stephanie's to say hi. Joanie's hand was on the door knob, when she heard the voices from inside. Stephanie's and...Paul's?

"Are you sure she doesn't know?"

"Positive."

Joanie pulled her hand back from the door knob, then turned around and walked quickly back to the women's locker room.

"It's nothing." She tried to drill it into her head, but something didn't seem right.

It was a few days later, and Paul seemed to be acting normal. Joanie had convinced herself that nothing was going on. She figured they were just discussing and angle. Stephanie was head of creative writing after all. But there was that feeling in the back of her mind that she just couldn't shake, no matter how hard she tried. They did their shows, went back home, and everything was normal. 

Joanie had talked to her friends and they hadn't brought up anything unusual, and Stephanie was rumored to be involved with one of the writers. One week, though, she wasn't booked for any shows, but Paul was in all of them...with Stephanie. He'd left his briefcase behind, because there were some papers in there Joanie would need later on.

The morning it happened was disgustingly beautiful, considering the events that were to unfold, only hours later. Joanie showered, dressed, and made herself some breakfast. She sat down to watch cartoons while she ate. A half hour or so later, she was upstairs working on some things, when she remembered the papers she would be needing in Paul's briefcase. Joanie found his briefcase in their room and threw it on the bed. She opened it up and started to look through it, when she saw handwriting very much like Stephanie's.

Of all the things I believe in  
I just want to get it over with  
tears form behind my eyes  
but I do not cry  
Counting the days that past me by

Joanie frowned, then moved the papers that were on top of it. It was a rather large stack of papers, tied in a ribbon. Joanie slammed the briefcase shut, and sat down next on the bed.

"Oh, My god!" The tears were starting to form. She breathed deeply, then looked back at the suitcase. "Wait, it's probably something for a show." 

Joanie slowly turned back to the briefcase and opened it again. The stack was there, sticking out like a sore thumb. She breathed deeply as she lifted them out and began to untie the ribbon.

I've been searching deep down in my soul  
Words that I'm hearing are starting to get old  
Looks like I'm starting all over again  
The last three years were just pretend and I say

Joanie picked up the first letter, expecting it to say "Dear Hunter", but it said "Dear Paul". She bit her lip as she started to read further. It was very detailed about nights spent together and dinners they'd shared. Joanie put the first letter down and moved onto the second one. It discussed her. It asked if she suspected anything, if Paul was ever going to leave her. Letter, by letter, Joanie made her way through the stack, the letters getting worse and worse.

Goodbye to you  
Goodbye to everything I thought I knew  
You were the one I love  
The one thing that I tried to hold on to

Finally Joanie got to the last letter. This one was written the day before, from Paul to Stephanie. Everything was in there that Joanie didn't want to see.

"Yes, Stephanie, I'm going to leave her very soon."

"She never suspected thing. I told you she wouldn't."

"You are the only one I love...and we're going to be together for real, in the open."

Joanie dropped the letter, tears flowing freely from her eyes. She turned and looked at a photograph of her and Paul together, taken on her last birthday. He'd looked so happy to be with her then. What had changed? What had gone wrong? Was it her? Just looking at his eyes made her wish that this could all go away, make everything good again, but she knew it couldn't be.

I still get lost in your eyes  
And it seems like I can't live a day without you  
Closing my eyes till you chase my thoughts away  
To a place where I am blinded by the light but it's not right

The tears quickly started to dry, and the Chyna portion of her started to take over. Joanie glared down at the letters in her hand. She scooped them all up into her arms and headed downstairs to the living room, where the fireplace was. Just then the telephone rang. She dropped the papers on the couch and went to pick it up.

"Hello?"

"hey Joanie, it's Debra, Amy and Lisa are here too. We weren't booked for the next couple of shows, so we wanted to know if you wanted to go out tonight."

"Why don't you guys come here. Come in about 30 minutes."

"Ok, see ya then, bye."

Joanie hung up the phone, a fire was blazing in her eyes. She smirked almost evilly, then picked up the phone again and dialed Paul's cell number. He saw her name on the Caller I.D. and immediately answered.

"hey babe. What's up?"

"Why don't you tell me Paul."

"What are you talking about?"

"Forget to take something out of your briefcase before you left...hmmm?"

"What are you...oh shit. Joanie, I can explain, I can. I...I.."

"You were, correction...ARE going to leave me for that slut. She is the only one you love, and finally, finally, it will be in the open. Well, have fun. I'm not giving you the satisfaction of dumping me...I'm dumping you!! It's over!" Joanie slammed the phone down and slid down the wall to the floor, sobbing. She knew he wouldn't call back.  


Goodbye to you   
Goodbye to everything I thought I knew  
You were the one I loved   
The one thing that I tried to hold on to

Joanie tore down the hallway and opened up the closet door. She dragged down a box of photo albums and started pulling them out.

"You win Stephanie...Billion Dollar Bitch." She accidentally dropped one of the albums. It fell open to the picture a photographer had taken of her and Paul's first kiss, on live television. It wasn't even scripted. He just grabbed her and kissed her. He had made her feel beautiful. She turned to the next page. Paul and her after she won the IC title. It hurt so badly to see these pictures. Half of her wanted to scream and rip them out and the other half wanted to call Paul back and beg him, plead him to stay with her.

Ohhh yeah  
It hurts to want everything & nothing at the same time  
I want whats yours and I want whats mine  
I want you but I'm not giving in this time

Joanie choked back her tears and closed the album and threw it back into the box. She picked it up and carried it into the living room and set it next to the stack of letters. She would not give in. It was over. 

"I hope you're happy with her, Paul." She growled deep in her throat. Just then the doorbell rang. Joanie wiped her eyes and went to answer it.

"HEY!!" Debra, Lisa, and Amy all jumped in and hugged her. Amy looked up first. 

"Joanie? What's the matter?" Joanie motioned for them to follow her. She picked up the stack of letters and handed them to her friends, who started to look them over. Debra gasped, Lisa started cursing a blue streak, and Amy stared down at the letters in horror. Joanie picked up the letter written by Paul and handed it them. After they read it, they turned towards her.

"You're not gonna let him do this to you are you?" Debra asked, a terrified look on her face.

"You're going to get him to stay with you right?" Lisa was still clutching the letter.

"Already taken care of. It's over. I dumped him before he could dump me."

"Oh Joanie." Amy ran across the room and gave her friend a hug.

Goodbye to you  
Goodbye to everything I thought I knew  
You were the one I loved  
The one thing that I tried to hold on to   
The one thing that I tried to hold on to

"I wanted to be with him forever. I loved him so much. He made me feel so special, so beautiful."

"Joanie, you didn't need him to feel those things. You are those things." Lisa handed Joanie a glass of wine. Debra and Amy were going through photo albums and pulling out pictures with Stephanie in them. They ranged from the beginning of the angle, to just recently. Joanie went into the kitchen and came back with some matches.

"Ready guys?" She prepared to strike the match. "1...2...3!!"

Joanie threw the match into the fireplace and watched it light up.

  


Goodbye to you  
Goodbye to everything I thought I knew  
You were the one I loved   
The one thing that I tried to hold on to

Amy and Debra started picking up letters and reading bits in voices mimicking Stephanie's. Joanie couldn't help but laugh. Lisa was the best by far, though.

"Oh, Paul! I love you so much. I don't know what I'd do without you in my life!" Lisa fell backwards onto the couch in a fake swoon. Soon all the letters had been burned, except for the one from Paul. Joanie glared down at it, then crumpled it up and threw it into the fireplace. They started on the pictures next. They laughed as Paul and Stephanie's photos smoldered and curled up in the flames. They had just finished, when Joanie pulled out the picture of her and Paul kissing. She looked at for a few moments, fresh tears staring, then threw it into the flames.

Lisa, Amy, Debra, and Joanie picked up their wine glasses, held them up in a toast, and laughed as they drank. Joanie looked at the fire and watched as the photograph shriveled up.

"I'll always love you, Paul." She whispered.  


And when the stars fall I will lie awake  
You're my shooting star

Please R/R!! I plan on writing a sequel!!


End file.
